In good news for Mumbai fliers, the city is set to get its second airport – the Navi Mumbai International Airport by the end of September. The airport will work alongside the city’s existing international
hub, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), creating a twin-airport system similar to Dubai’s DXB-DWC or New York’s JFK-Newark network.
Explained | Navi Mumbai Airport Set To Open: Take These Mumbai-Thane Roads, Metros, Buses, Trains To Land There
The airport’s master plan includes expanding to four terminals by 2032. Once ready, these terminals will have the capacity to handle up to 90 million passengers per year.
Navi Mumbai Airport: 1,160-hectare area, built at cost of Rs 19,647 crore
The NMIA is located in Ulwe in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The project covers an area of 1,160 hectares and is scheduled to be completed in five phases.
The project planning started in 1990 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the project’s foundation stone in February 2018.
The airport has been developed over 1,160 hectares with a special purpose vehicle, Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL).
The financial closure for the project was achieved in March 2022, with State Bank of India sanctioning Rs 12,770 crore out of the total project cost of Rs 19,647 crore.
#NaviMumbaiAirport will expand India’s aviation capacity and bring smoother journeys for passengers across Maharashtra and beyond.
With ultra-fast baggage systems, modern security, cargo power, and India’s largest general aviation terminal, NMIA is built for growth and… pic.twitter.com/mxOOVneQca
— Navi Mumbai International Airport (@navimumairport) September 11, 2025
Navi Mumbai Airport is many times bigger than CSMIA
Once the airport is ready with two runways, it will have the capacity to handle nine crore passengers (annually). Once fully operational, NMIA and CSMIA together will allow Mumbai to handle approximately 145–150 million passengers annually.
“The NMIA will be fully-equipped, meaning it will be many times bigger than the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai,” chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said in July.
By 2032, the airport will be able to accommodate 2.5 million tonnes of cargo. The domestic cargo terminal will be spread over 3,60,000 sq ft and the international cargo terminal will be spread over 2,55,000 sq ft.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Inaugural landing of IAF C-295 takes place at Navi Mumbai International airport. The Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft landed at the airport for a trial run on the runway.
CM Eknath Shinde and others present here.
(Video: ANI/Maharashtra CMO) pic.twitter.com/4LtDGyfEQ6
— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2024
Navi Mumbai Airport has fastest baggage claim system in world
Fadnavis had also said the NMIAhas the most efficient baggage-handling system in the world. “The barcode of the baggage can be read with 360-degree scanners, ensuring it reaches the right place. We have asked the authorities that the baggage claim system in this airport should be the fastest not only in the country but in the entire world, and efforts are being made in that direction,” the CM had said.
Arrangements are also being done so that baggage check-in is done in different cities itself so that passengers can travel to the airport without the need to carry it. This will give passengers a good travel experience, the CM said.
#NMIA is set to transform Maharashtra’s economy and infrastructure, driving jobs, growth and connectivity across the state.
From world-class capacity and multimodal links to real estate growth, tourism, trade and green innovation, NMIA is more than an airport; it’s Maharashtra’s… pic.twitter.com/wU5lYJcQ4e
— Navi Mumbai International Airport (@navimumairport) September 16, 2025
Navi Mumbai Airport: Lounges, dining courts, corporate travel
Lounges are available on multiple levels that provide views of the runways, while dining courts offer Mumbai street food alongside international cuisine.
Retail spaces combine luxury labels with curated local outlets. Free Wi-Fi, family lounges, business pods and digital navigation tools cater to a wide range of passengers.
For corporate travel, the NMIA will host India’s largest general aviation terminal that features approximately 75 aircraft stands and a heliport for both scheduled and unscheduled operations.
Navi Mumbai Airport: Lotus design honours India’s national flower
The lotus design of the terminal makes it an iconic structure, with unique and futuristic architectural form, operational efficiency and advanced technology, states the website. The design honours India’s national flower.
Navi Mumbai Airport: Metro, Road, Rail connectivity
The airport is 10 minutes away from Panvel and is easily accessible via road, metro rail, and suburban railways. The airport connects the Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1 and the Mumbai metro line 8, also called Gold line.
The airport will be the starting point of the Mumbai-Hyderabad high-speed rail corridor.
The Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) or Atal Setu, Sion-Panvel Highway, NH 348A, Amra Marg, Eastern Freeway, Ulwe Coastal Road (UCR), Kharghar-Belapur Coastal Road, Sewri Nhava Sheva Trans-Harbor Sea Link or MTHL will also provide easy access to the airport.
This airport will also have bullet train connectivity with Metro.
Final Approach: Navi Mumbai International Airport is Ready to Soar!✈️
Visited and inspected the Navi Mumbai International Airport and chaired a meeting with senior officials to review the detailed progress of the ongoing work.
With 94% work completed, the vision of the… https://t.co/NtwfMRJ4Sc pic.twitter.com/g70ZmNqUrL
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 12, 2025
Navi Mumbai Airport will be most modern in the country
Fadnavis had said the NMIA will be the most modern airport in the country. Two runways will be constructed at this airport and it will be possible to park 350 planes at the same time at 4 terminals. Even though the airport has four terminal buildings, passengers can reach their flight no matter which terminal they go to.
NMIA is green airport
It is a green airport with 37 MW of green power being used. All vehicles will either be electric or run on alternative fuel and sustainable aviation fuel, which is being developed on a large scale.
The Panvel airport will also feature a fuel farm of 1,630,000 sq ft and three aircraft hangars.
Which other cities have two airports?
In India
Delhi NCR: Indira Gandhi International Airport and Hindon Airport
Goa: Dabolim Airport and Manohar International Airport
Some international examples are Belgium’s Brussels, Poland’s Warsaw, Canada’s Montreal, China’s Beijing, Turkey’s Istanbul and UK’s Glasgow.
With agency inputs
